runner

I’ve written about winter motivation in my latest Modern Woman column (previous post) and now, I want to now share what motivates me the most personally to get up on the cold dark winter days and any day of the year to train and push my body hard.
Sometimes I wake up feeling tired. I know – groundbreaking right?! Stick with me. This Monday was a perfect example. I’d had a fun, frivolous weekend away from fitness focusing on self indulgence instead to celebrate a friend’s birthday. It was hedonistic and worth it. However..! On Monday morning I woke up early in a warm bed and the thought of going out to sprint or run a long distance just seemed like a bad joke.… Continue reading...

I recently ran the Berlin marathon with some wireless headphones with a pretty pricey cost attached. They were worth the investment for me but since then I’ve trialled the Audio-technica wireless headphones which are cheaper yet still high quality. So, since many of you have been asking about a cheaper alternative I really don’t know a better suggestion than these.
The ATH-SPORT 70BT wireless in-ear headphones feature 9 mm performance-enhanced, carbon-coated drivers which basically means they deliver clear and powerful audio. When I’m hitting the track especially for my speed workouts this is important to me! The powerful beats really do help to push me to keep faster pace.… Continue reading...

Wake-up
I woke up at 6AM after a very sound solid night’s sleep. Funnily enough I didn’t feel nervous. Perhaps it was the hormones casting me into a daze or perhaps it was blissful ignorance of what was to come. Having had ten days off I think I’d forgotten some of the challenges of training and running long distances! But either way I felt good and ready to run. The forecast for the race was 23°C which I knew was on the warm side but I was prepared with a cap and sunscreen and just counted my lucky stars it wasn’t extreme conditions like the freezing rain that hit Boston Marathon earlier this year or the 28°C that was forecasted a day later.… Continue reading...

I arrived in Berlin on the evening of Thursday 13th September – two days out from my first ever marathon. On Friday I walked the two miles from my hotel to the start line situated within Tiergarten park by the infamous Brandenburg gate. I wanted to know exactly where I was going on race day and start psyching myself up for the ever nearing 26.2 miles.
My coach, Jane Vongvorachoti, had advised me to save energy so after seeing the start area I caught a bike cab to save my legs, had a super healthy lunch at Avocai food and Pilates studio and then took a taxi to the expo.… Continue reading...

The Training
I gave myself about two months to train for Berlin marathon. It wasn’t enough but thankfully it got me through.
I was super eager to complete my first marathon. After getting injured following an online plan for London marathon earlier this year (please never rely on these because, for one thing, they are completely lacking in strength training and I’ve heard of so many people like me who got injured by following them), I had been successfully rebuilding my fitness levels but wanted expert guidance to optimise my preparation for Berlin.
My expert help came in the form of Jane Vongvorachoti, an olympic runner who also trains clients at Equinox London and lead the Equinox team through Boston marathon.… Continue reading...

Encouragement from friends
Before I left for Mykonos I spoke to a friend who’s been sober for four years. Carlo Carello, ex Boujis manager and now managing partner and owner of Albert’s Private Members Club and Mahiki Kensington. Carlo knows exactly what it’s like to be submerged in drinking culture day in, day out yet stay stone cold sober. And he’s learnt from painful experience. Being a self professed “all or nothing” character, in the past, when it came to alcohol Carlo just couldn’t call the shots wisely. Pun intended. He had a toxic relationship with alcohol and it came to the point of seriously affecting his health and friendships.… Continue reading...

According to Albert Einstein the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Despite the flaws in this aphorism (since practice can make perfect) I’ve always appreciated its invitation to keep moving forwards and not stagnate on a road to N-O-W-H-E-R-E new.
My reasons for going sober
I became injured seven weeks out from the London Marathon which forced me to withdraw my place. I was gutted. On Sunday 22nd April all I could do was hobble to the side lines of arguably the greatest marathon in the world to support and cheer on the champs who ran the hot heroic 26.2 miles.… Continue reading...

From Balmain I went with my bestie to her home in Berry – about two and a half hours from Sydney by car. Berry is like a town from a different era. It is so simple and wonderfully so. We hiked Fitzroy Falls, had wholesome country time, ate, drank super smoothies and were very merry.
A week later I was back in the city gearing up for the Half Marathon. I knew my training had been far from optimal no thanks to my injury, but hey – I was here and I was going to give it my best shot. The night before the race I stayed at the QT, just a short walk from the start-line.… Continue reading...

My days in New Zealand were simple and very happy. The pace of life was slow and rich – a stark and welcomed contrast to the urban franticness that often characterises London life. I had time to stop and savour the sights of autumn. The leaves were beginning to fall in red and gold but the sky remained bright blue every single day, which emphasised all the colours even more. It felt like I was seeing everything with a microscopic lens. I hiked up hill-tops and met smiling Napier residents along the way. I read, wrote and listened to podcasts (Tim Ferris, Rich Roll, I do, Sam Harris are my current favourites and also Goop’s opener with Oprah is a must listen).… Continue reading...

I left the UK on 2nd May thinking I’d be gone 10 days. One month later and I’ve only just returned.
Last month I went to Heathrow and boarded a plane to Thailand. As you can see from my previous posts and Instagrams, I stayed at the out-of-this-world haven of health and tranquility – Chiva Som hotel in an effort to accelerate my recovery from a running injury, having had nearly seven weeks rest from my favourite sport. It’d taken me six weeks just to walk without pain. And I’d missed out on running The London Marathon which was hugely disheartening.… Continue reading...